Don’t Dance

Good weightlifting requires the feet to be still. More to the point, they should be pushed into the floor or footrest.

A prone, supine, or seated exerciser may easily move his feet. But the torso would inevitably lose some of its stillness because moving feet are not connected to the ground, which helps brace the torso. The limbs do almost all of the actual moving during seated and lying strength exercise; they cannot apply maximum force if the torso is not still. Limbs are levers anchored in the torso – the limbs lose leverage whenever the torso moves even slightly.

Fatigue is the great enemy of still feet. A tired lifter often moves his feet and will even thrust a leg into the air. His limbs lose strength and power just when these qualities are most needed.

The sound way to lift is to apply more force to the ground through the feet. Stop dancing and you’ll probably grind out a few more reps.

Runners Should Lift Weights

One of The Training Station's weightlifting platforms and powerlifting cages.

Every time a runner lands, a big force goes into the ground. The only reason that runners don’t fall through the earth is because the earth pushes back with the same force. If you hit the ground with 500 pounds of force, for example, the ground hits you back with 500 pounds of force.

Ground reaction forces pound on the muscles and skeleton. A good way to better prepare the body for running is to lift weights, because lifting weights makes bones and muscles more resilient.

When done properly, it should take no more than 20 minutes to do a lifting routine, which should be done at least twice per week.

You’ll be better prepared for the pounding of running and less likely to be injured.